Shloka 12

प्रियव्रतवंशवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीपविभागः, जम्बूद्वीप-वर्षविभागः, भरत-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

जम्बूद्वीपं महाभाग सो ऽग्नीध्राय ददौ पिता मेधातिथेस् तथा प्रादात् प्लक्षद्वीपम् अथापरम्

Transliteration

jambūdvīpaṃ mahābhāga so 'gnīdhrāya dadau pitā medhātithes tathā prādāt plakṣadvīpam athāparam

Translation

O fortunate one, the father allotted Jambūdvīpa to Agnīdhra; and likewise he bestowed Plakṣadvīpa upon Medhātithi.

Word by Word

• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (jambu-tree’s island)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great + fortunate)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्नीध्राय: to Agnīdhra
• अग्नीध्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नीध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मेधातिथेः: of Medhātithi
• मेधातिथेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधातिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक (thus/also)

• प्रादात्: gave/bestowed
• प्रादात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्लक्षद्वीपम्: Plakṣadvīpa
• प्लक्षद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरवाचक (then/next)

• अपरम्: another/next
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्लक्षद्वीपम्—‘the other/next’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Specific allocation of dvīpas among Priyavrata’s heirs

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas (continents)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purāṇic sacred geography is tied to righteous kingship: the world’s regions are sustained by orderly, legitimate rule.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate ‘right order’ in one’s sphere—family, work, community—through clear responsibilities and fair distribution of resources.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhū (earth) as a divine domain to be protected; governance becomes a dharmic service within the Lord’s cosmic body.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Proper succession and division of sovereignty (rāja-dharma)

Key Kings: Priyavrata, Agnīdhra, Medhātithi

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi (earth)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Priyavrata
• Agnīdhra
• Medhātithi
• Jambūdvīpa
• Plakṣadvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of dividing the dvīpas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows the world’s geography being organized through rightful kingship—continents are allotted to Priyavrata’s sons, presenting cosmic order (dharma) as structured governance within sacred cosmology.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the governance of the earth in this context?

Parāśara narrates a lineage-based distribution: Priyavrata assigns specific dvīpas to his sons (here, Jambūdvīpa to Agnīdhra and Plakṣadvīpa to Medhātithi), indicating that rule and territory follow an ordained, genealogical order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s cosmology presumes his supreme sovereignty: the orderly partition of the world is part of the divinely sustained structure of reality, where kingship mirrors the higher cosmic governance upheld by Vishnu.